MISSOULA — Garden City will host mixed martial arts matches this weekend at the Adams Center as the Montana MMA promotion's Fusion Fight League comes to town.
The card will be headlined by Missoula native Lloyd Mix, who will face Gage Sanders for the Fusion Fight League welterweight title.
“It's a bit of a homecoming for me,” Mix said. “So I don't have to stress too much about my weight and I can just get on there and perform. I'm just excited and I'm a really good competitor as well, so I'd appreciate it if I could have an equally good five-round fight.” I would have to knock him out in the first round. ”
Mix was a pioneer in Montana MMA, making his way from the Treasure State to big shows and promotions like Bellator, where he worked alongside some of the sport's most dynamic talents, including Michael Chandler and Patricky Pitbull. fought.
But when he heard himself being called a pioneer, a fire ignited in his heart. Because the way he sees it, he still has a lot left to contribute to the sport.
“It's a chip on my shoulder. Ask any of the rookies here, I'm always ready to go,” Mix said. “That's why I'm kind of drawn to the Pioneer thing because people always talk about his age. He's lost his hair since he started fighting, but he still has it. And the home crowd. I'm really happy that I was able to take enough to perform in front of them.”
“No one but us expected him to come into Bellator and make such a splash,” added Matt Powers, one of his coaches. “I think he's done a phenomenal job with MMA in Montana. He's the first person to film MMA on a big screen, or more like a big screen, in a bigger venue.
“When people outside of Montana found out who he was, that was really great. He paved the way for what Tim Welch and Sean O'Malley are doing.”
Mix, 39, is 15-7 as a professional mixed martial artist, but this will be his first fight in nearly eight years. During that time, he dabbled in bare-knuckle boxing and found success there, but when he got the call to return to the cage, Mix found that spark to return to light MMA fighting.
“I'm proud to be one of the first to start it, as you guys know, but it's really heartwarming to see it still going on, and here in Montana I like the talent in the state,” Mix said. “I always thought we had talent here. And what's just cool about it is, you know, being in the spotlight.”
Mix is a member of Missoula Kickboxing, formerly known as the Dogpound Fight Team, and head coach Conal Powers trains with him often and has admired him since he was young. Ta.
“Lloyd has his own style. He's really creative with his impressive moves,” Conall said. “I don't try to get in the way of things like that. I let him flow, I let him do his job, he's a great athlete. And, you know, he's very competitive in the game. I don't know much about it because he has a lot of experience in it.'' I'll critique it a little bit, but overall I let him do what he likes.
“I remember growing up watching him fight on TV when I was about nine years old and then training with him, and then we got to the point where we actually sparred with each other. As you know, this guy is
All eyes will be on Mix on Saturday night in Missoula, and he's ready for the chance to strap an FFL belt around his waist in front of his hometown crowd.
“He has a belt and he’s a little bit bigger than me,” Mix said. “In fact, he messaged me and I'm honored to think that he wants to get the piece. I'm really excited to get out there and show my skill set,” he said. And you do it in front of the people I love the most, the 406. We're going home.”
